Palaces of Rome
by tucuxia
Summary: Despite his size and his father's expectations, Dean presented as an omega. Infertile, male omegas have no rights in Rome, so John arranges to sell him to the son of the Emperor in an attempt to provide his alpha son, Sam, a better life. Dean accepts his place in the harem, but he stumbles upon the biggest secret in Rome, one that has kept male omegas enslaved for 800 years.
1. Sold

**Summary:**

Despite his size and his father's expectations, Dean presented as an omega. Infertile, male omegas have no rights in Rome, so John arranges to sell him to the son of the Emperor in an attempt to provide his alpha son, Sam, a better life. Sam joins the army under General Gabriel's expert tutelage, swearing to become a warrior famous enough to buy his brother back. Dean accepts his place in the prince's harem, but he's about to stumble upon the biggest secret in Rome, one that has kept hundreds of thousands of male omegas enslaved for almost eight hundred years. The secret will either push Rome into an age of peace and prosperity or it will shatter one of the greatest empires in the ancient world.

**Relationships:** Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester

**Characters:** Chuck Shurley, Naomi (Supernatural), Hannah (Supernatural), Michael (Supernatural), Lucifer (Supernatural), Anna Milton, John Winchester, Meg Masters, Hester (Supernatural), Kevin Tran, Inias (Supernatural)

**Additional Tags:** Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bad Parent John Winchester, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha Gabriel (Supernatural), Alpha Gabriel/Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Alpha pairing, Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), BAMF Gabriel (Supernatural)

* * *

Chapter 1: Sold

* * *

"I'll mate a beta male! I'll never have children and to hell with his damn lineage!"

"Sam," his older brother soothed, hiding his own fury and fear as he tried to calm the barely-presented boy. By Roman law, his presentation made him a man, but he was still a gangly youth, nowhere near his final height and size. "You can't do that to Dad."

"Why not?! He's selling you, Dean, like one would sell a prized mare! You're a person, you're his son, and you deserve better than slavery!"

Dean dropped his brother's gaze and shook his head gently, his apple blossom and cinnamon scent souring as he lost control of his emotions for just a moment. "Sam, you've known this was coming for four years. I'm an omega, and male omegas don't have any rights in Rome. We can't have children, and our heats are considered deceitful. No one will take a barren man as a mate, and I certainly can't inherit Dad's lands or titles. You can, and you must join the army, find a mate, and take your place in society."

Sam growled and turned away, his eyes flashing red as he struggled to control his alpha. "I'm only twelve, Dean; I'm too young to worry about finding a nice girl."

"Some of your friends were mated as soon as they presented, Sam. Be glad that Dad is giving you the chance to choose."

Sam sniffed softly, clearly fighting his tears as the brothers counted down the last few hours they would have together. "I'd be glad if he let you stay. If you can't have pups anyway, what does it matter if you live here or in Caesar's house?"

"Dad is getting lands, wealth, and a title for selling me to Caesar," Dean replied softly. "Those will go to you and your mate, and you will need those to support your own sons."

"You're selling yourself to preserve a family that our own father is ejecting you from?"

"I can't do anything myself to grow our family, but I can ensure that you will have the chance. Please, Sam, promise that you won't cause a scene at the palace today. Promise me that you will stay with Dad and be a good son, take a mate as soon as you find someone worthy, and that you will protect our family name."

"Dean . . ."

"Promise me!" Dean grabbed his brother's shoulder, ignoring the faint waver in the kid's voice. "You're an alpha now, Sam, and you have to be strong. I don't know if I'll ever be allowed to see you again."

"I never wanted to be an alpha," the long-haired brunet whispered, tears filling his dark hazel eyes. "I wanted to present as a beta."

"And I never wanted to be an omega," Dean replied softly. "I thought I was going to be an alpha, like Dad. But, we can't do anything about that now. All we can do is get ready for our trip to the palace."

* * *

"This is ridiculous."

Castiel, never one to speak out against his father, silently agreed with his older half-brother. The tall blond with pale blue eyes stormed across the hall, explaining to the emperor in great detail what he thought of the visit planned for the day. When their father didn't answer, Lucifer continued his tirade. "He's barely noble; I don't know why you cater to him so."

"John Winchester served well in the recent Gallic Wars," the emperor replied softly. "He has asked us to take a burden from him so that his one heir will be provided for. That boy will join the army later this month, and I have no doubt that he will serve with distinction, as well." There was the faintest hint of an accusation in Chuck's soft voice; Lucifer and his twin brother Michael had not seen any action during their time in the army. They had not distinguished themselves as their youngest half-brother Castiel had done, and no Roman citizen would be likely to follow them if war threatened their borders once more. Castiel, who shared little in common with either man, tended to spend as little time with the twins as possible. Today, being a formal occasion, he had little choice but to sit with them.

Their shared mother, the beta Naomi from one of the northern Roman territories, watched her son pace back and forth without comment. She had been lucky, finding Chuck soon after her first mate died during a skirmish in Britannia, leaving her pregnant and alone in the complicated Roman society. He had taken her in, allowing the woman to serve in his court and keep her newborn pups, eventually mating Naomi and sending her sons to the army where they could serve the empire even without a sire to speak for them. In return, the grateful empress had given her mate children of his own, three who had survived to adulthood including his heir the alpha Castiel. The twins had been adopted by the emperor, but as they were not his by birth their status in Roman society was always uncertain.

The azure-eyed, raven-haired alpha had served as an officer in the Roman Army for more than a decade, finally returning home to learn how to rule from his aging sire. His half-brothers had been a thorn in his side for most of that time, but he could comfort himself with the knowledge that they were unlikely to ever take mates and have pups, as they had no official lands or titles to pass down to their heirs. And, once he was emperor, they would be completely dependent on his good graces to continue living the lives they had become accustomed to.

"Omegas are rare, and the male versions are worth their weight in gold as status symbol," the empress interjected, knowing that she could make her son see reason. "A family who can afford to keep an unbreedable concubine, especially a lovely one, will gain a great deal of respect from the aristocracy of Rome. Besides, a male omega is the safest partner for an alpha during his ruts, since they are sturdier than females and cannot become pregnant. Castiel certainly could not spend his rut with his mate, once he has one, and it is unwise to use a male beta in that position for more than a few years. This will be good for the whole family."

"I suppose no one cares that I don't want another concubine?"

Chuck snorted as Michael chuckled from one of the seats below his dais. "Castiel, don't be ridiculous. You will be emperor one day, and you must have slaves to tend to your needs when your mate is indisposed or with pup. I've seen this boy; he is lovely and will fit in with your harem just fine."

"He must be the last, Father. The rest of your nobles and aspiring merchants must buy your favor with a different coin."

Chuck, from whom his heir had inherited such lovely blue eyes, bowed his head slightly, the gold leaves of his crown catching the sunlight that streamed into the throne room. "Very well, Castiel. This Winchester omega is the last concubine you will be asked to take."

* * *

Dean, who had learned in the last four years that his position was no better than a slave's, kept his eyes on the marble floors under his sandaled feet as he followed his father and brother into the emperor's palace. He was peripherally aware of guards and servants lining the halls, all of them pausing to sniff the air as he passed, whispers following the family into the throne room. He was used to being an oddity, being stared at and whispered about, but he knew that Sam wasn't in control of his alpha yet and could react violently to people gossiping about his brother. Dean stepped close enough to Sam to touch the boy, reassuring him that there was nothing to worry about, and certainly no reason to start a fight. By the time they reached the base of the throne, the burnt edge of anger on the alpha's scent had faded.

Dean had seen some very beautiful paintings of the emperor and his family a few years ago when his father took them on a trip to Athenae. He had been amazed at the intensity of the colors in the paint, so much more vivid than anything he had seen before. The noble who owned the painting had gushed about how perfect the dark blue used for the prince's eyes was, but Dean thought he must have been exaggerating. Now, entering the throne room, Dean couldn't help but look at the man who would soon own him, the youngest alpha son of the emperor, and he met the deepest, truest sea blue eyes in Rome. The omega caught himself staring, dropping his gaze before his dad could catch him breaking the rules, but the image of those blue eyes stayed in his mind.

He was painfully aware of the dozens of sets of eyes on him, nobles reclining between the tall marble columns with servants flocking around them, some of them whispering as they caught the sweet, heady scent of a male omega. Omegas were the rarest of the three subgenders, and males made up less than a tenth of that number. Dean had only met two male omegas in his life, so he knew what a rare sight he had become. His dad had kept him indoors since he presented, never letting him leave their modest estate in the southern part of the city, and he had warned Dean about the attention he would receive. Reaching up to rub nervously at the dark leather collar he was required to wear as a male omega, Dean hoped that this meeting would be quick.

* * *

Castiel hated formal affairs, and they were ten times worse when his older brother was away at the front. Gabriel was an ass and an incorrigible trickster, but he was Castiel's best friend and the only sibling that the raven-haired alpha truly liked. Gabriel had long ago informed their father in no uncertain words that he refused to be Caesar, so the potential title had passed to Castiel as the only other available male alpha. He wanted to hate his brother for putting him in that position, but Gabriel would have fought with Chuck far more, maybe even running away to the edge of the empire instead of taking a post defending the border from the wild Germanic tribes to the north. Gabriel would probably have killed Lucifer by now, but Castiel had learned to tolerate his abrasive half-brother.

The murmur of the gathered nobles was Castiel's cue to start paying attention again, and he looked up to meet the startled emerald eyes of a gorgeous young man with hair somewhere between light brown and sandy blonde and freckles dusted across his nose. He had sculpted features more common in Greece than Rome, though his eye color hinted at a more northern ancestry, and his scent slowly filled the room and filtered up to the emperor's dais. Castiel had learned years ago to control his reactions to appealing aromas, but it was all he could do to keep his eyes from flashing red as his alpha's interest was piqued. Damn, he hated when his father was right. He _was_ going to like this one.

"John, it is good to see you again," Chuck greeted, waving one arm expansively. He tended toward the theatric when he had someone to impress, and a number of nobles had shown up this morning to see this male omega. "How was Sam's presentation?"

"It went well, Excellency, thank you for asking." John, a grizzled alpha with bright blue eyes and a beard that was more gray than brown now, pulled his gangly younger son forward, the boy's mop of messy brown hair covering his eyes. Castiel hated this part of politics, the useless banter back and forth before cutting to the chase. Obviously Sam had survived his rut as he was standing _right there_ looking healthy enough for his age. He was pretty tall for twelve, actually, and he would likely make it past six feet before he stopped growing. Male pups hit a growth spurt right after their presentation, needing tons of food to keep up with their bodies' demands, which was one of the reasons that they tended to be sent off to the army as soon as that started. It was a perfect time to teach these boys how to fight, how to control their alphas, and how to be a useful member of Roman society. Sam should do well.

"Forgive me for missing his announcement; we only just returned from Abyssinia a week or so ago." Chuck wouldn't have gone, of course; John was a noble, but a minor one and he didn't rate a visit from the Emperor at the party celebrating his son's presentation. Still, this was all theatrics, and Chuck knew how to play a crowd.

"You were greatly missed, Excellency." John subtly adjusted the dark green cloth draped over his son's left side, the color evoking wealth and nobility. Until he presented, Sam would not have been allowed to wear anything other than common white linen, but now that he was a man he would be expected to dress to his station. The other son, the tall omega waiting silently behind his father, was still dressed in a simple white tunic with no embroidery, the mark of a slave. As a male omega, he did not have the full rights of a Roman citizen, though as he had been born inside the empire he could not be sold as a slave to anyone other than a Roman. In that, at least, the blood of Rome was protected.

"You are preparing to send Sam off to join the Roman Army?"

John bowed his head slightly in agreement. "I profited greatly from my time there, and I know that he will, as well. As it is, he's already eating me out of house and home!"

Chuck grinned and gestured for Sam to walk closer, blue eyes examining the child. He was growing too fast for his body to keep up, arms longer than expected and legs not coordinated yet. "I have four alpha sons; I completely understand your plight. My son Gabriel, general of the Seventh Legion, will be in town in four days to pick up new recruits. Have Sam at the training camp north of the city by then and he will be accepted as an officer in training."

John's eyes widened, and Sam even looked up in shock. Gabriel was a legend, nearly as well loved as his younger brother by the soldiers, and to be trained by one of the emperor's General sons was the greatest honor that could be bestowed on the boy. "Excellency . . ."

"We've been friends a long time, John," Chuck continued, his voice softer. "I want the best for your sons. If Dean had presented alpha, he would be there, too. As it is, the only thing I can offer for your oldest is a position in Castiel's harem. The position is for life, and as one of the concubines of the future Emperor he will be well provided for. I can promise that he will have as good a life as any slave could want, and he will be allowed to visit with you and Sam once his training is complete. I know that it isn't much, but I wouldn't want him to go to an alpha who isn't kind, who won't treat him like a person, and who might sell him again."

"I won't do that," Castiel chimed in, his deep, gravelly voice catching Dean's attention. The omega teen's eyes flicked up for just a moment, and he smiled gratefully before returning his attention to his sandaled feet. "His training will take some time, as will Sam's, so when they are both a little older and settled into their roles, I will arrange for them to see each other again."

"Thank you, Castiel," John whispered, a thread of joy leaking into his tightly controlled scent. He had known the young alpha since he was a pup, so the prince allowed such informality from the war veteran. John cleared his throat and returned to the more formal address as he reached back and gently nudged his older son forward a few steps. "Highness, I do hereby present my son Dean, a male omega, for your inspection as a potential concubine for your harem."

Castiel nodded at one of the servants fluttering around his throne near his father's dais, the emperor's personal servant Kevin. The boy's mother had traveled to Rome from far to the East, from the kingdom of Seres at the other end of the Silk Road, and had taken a position as the head female house servant while her only son, a toddler when she arrived, was now the most trusted of Chuck's personal servants. Castiel's own personal servants were still cleaning up and organizing the apartments he would be taking over in his father's wing of the palace, ones that belonged to Gabriel before he took up a permanent position with the Seventh Legion.

Kevin, while dressed in the simple white tunic that marked the serving class, had accented his outfit with a rich red sash embroidered by his mother with symbols from his birth language. His position among the palace servants was quite prominent, and he walked with the surely of a man who could stride among nobles with impunity. He reached Dean and cleared his throat, catching the omega's attention as he nodded toward a doorway on the side of the throne room. Chuck had a small meeting room there, and it would do for Castiel's purposes.

"John, I appreciate your offer. I will speak with your son privately for a few minutes and see if his scent and temperament are acceptable to me. If they are, I will send him off to join my harem immediately." Dean's head shot up at that, and he glanced at his kid brother almost out of reflex. John grabbed his son's shoulder and pushed him forward, but Castiel's quick growl froze them both. "He is allowed to bid his brother farewell," the prince scolded, some part of him bristling at the thought of anyone touching Dean roughly.

John nodded jerkily as Dean turned to his brother and engulfed the teen in his arms, the omega whispering something in Sam's ear as the alpha struggled not to cry. Castiel remembered that John's mate had died some eleven years previously in a tragic fire, and he wondered how much Dean had stepped in to fill the role of dam and mother to the boy. They separated and Dean cleared his throat, raising his chin and smiling as Sam straightened, echoing his posture. He was telling the young alpha to be brave, Castiel realized, wanting his brother to have a good life, even if Dean wouldn't be able to look out for him anymore.

Kevin led Dean off to the private room, only a hint of sadness in the omega's scent. Castiel nodded in John's direction before following, knowing that his father would finish the required pleasantries with the noble before sending him on his way. Even if, for some reason, Castiel found that Dean would not be compatible with him, he would keep the boy long enough to find him a suitable owner among the nobles who owed his father or the ones who served with him in the army. He and his father had been in agreement on that point.

Castiel entered the small meeting room to find Dean standing near the back wall, his scent sour as he stared at the floor. "I'm sorry about all of this formality," Castiel murmured, keeping his hands still and his scent calm as he attempted to soothe the boy. "I know that this is not what you imagined for your life."

"Is this what would have happened to you, if you were omega?" Dean's voice, breaking on the first words that Castiel had ever heard him speak, would probably deepen with age. He looked and sounded like a young alpha, the kind of boy who should have been sent off to war, not sold as a slave to the emperor's son. The leather strip of his slave collar was a dark stain against skin that had not seen enough sun in years. John probably kept him indoors after his presentation.

"No," Castiel admitted. "I would have lived as brother of the future emperor, even as my aunt Amara lives here, childless but still a valued member of our family. Her by choice, but still, it would have been the same. My older brother Gabriel was immensely grateful that I presented as an alpha, giving him the ability to renounce his claim to Father's throne and spend his days as far away from Rome as possible."

"I remember when he announced that he would not accept the throne," Dean murmured. "I read the proclamation a dozen times, proud of him for choosing his own path."

"You can read, then?" Most slaves who had been offered to Castiel as concubines had been both illiterate and unwilling to learn. It would be nice to have a companion who could read the great philosophers and perhaps argue with the prince about the meanings of their words.

"Dad thought we would both be alphas," Dean replied. John would have been willing to pay for tutors for alpha sons, but probably stopped Dean's education when he presented as an omega.

"Most of my concubines enjoy reading, art, music, and dance. If you join the harem, I will be happy to provide tutors in any subject you desire."

"Thank you," Dean whispered, wringing his hands in front of his tunic. "What do . . . how does this work? You said that you would scent me."

"Yes. I'm going to need to get close to you and touch you. Are you alright with that?" Dean nodded, his eyes still cast toward the ground. "Dean, you can look at me when we're alone. I know that slave laws control you out there, but I don't require that you act like that around me."

Dean finally looked up at that, his intensely emerald eyes boring into sea-dark azure. "Can I scent you, too?"

"Of course." Castiel approached the young omega slowly, stopping just close enough to touch as he raised his hands to Dean's arms. The boy was still, but not afraid, and the sour notes were gone from his scent. Castiel leaned closer, burying his nose in the scent gland at the base of Dean's neck, taking a few deep lungfuls of sweet apple blossom and cinnamon aroma. He was very fond of apples and frequently visited orchards in nearby towns when he had free time, and the prince often used cinnamon in his wine or to season dried fruit. It was quite a lovely scent.

Dean had turned his head far enough to catch Castiel's scent, holding himself still as his nose twitched against the prince's throat. He had been told a dozen times that his scent was similar to honey fresh from a bee's hive, sharpened with the bite of fresh ginger, a strong spice as popular and expensive in Rome as cinnamon. Dean clearly approved of the aroma, pulling back slightly and nodding. "Is my scent agreeable to you, Highness?"

"Yes, Dean, I do find it pleasant." Castiel backed away from the omega, bowing his head slightly in approval. "I would like for you to join my harem."

"Thank you, Highness," Dean replied softly, resisting the urge to drop his eyes to the ground. "What happens now?"

"I will summon one of the harem servants and he will escort you to the apartments reserved for their use. I currently have six concubines, all of them betas, though one is a male on contract for my ruts. My ruts are . . . unusually strong and the females do not wish to assist. You will report to April, the head concubine, and she will begin the process of training and preparing you for your new role in the palace. It will take time; normally a concubine is brought in much younger, around twelve or thirteen, and is ready for service around sixteen or seventeen. Since you are already four years past your first heat, it will not take as long for physical maturity, but there are still rules and structures that you must learn. My male beta's contract is only two years old, so you have three years to study before you will be required to take his place during my ruts. Do you have any questions?"

Dean shook his head, dropping his gaze as a door hidden in the corner of the room slid open, admitting a tall, dark-skinned man dressed in a richly embroidered white tunic with dark blue accents. "Highness?"

"Uriel, take Dean to the harem and present him to April. He is my new concubine."

Uriel bowed his head and turned away, expecting Dean to follow him. The omega had already accepted his position as _slave_ in Roman society, so he simply obeyed, hands still clasped in front of his tunic. From what he understood from Castiel's timeline, it could be years before he saw the alpha who owned him again, years before he would be allowed out of the palace, and years before he could ask to see Sam again. He only hoped that he could make friends among the other concubines or his future would be bleak.

* * *

Gabriel was one of the most celebrated generals in the history of Rome. He had subdued the rowdy German tribes along the northern border, pushed back barbarians attempting to block the trade route to the Norse lands, crushed the three largest Gaelic tribes to bring the rest under his father's rule, and "negotiated" a treaty with Britannia at the point of a sword. He was known as the Messenger of Rome, carrying his father's law to the farthest reaches of the land and bringing back wealth without measure from the kingdoms that were too much trouble to conquer at the time. He had even taken a band of soldiers across the Silk Road to meet with the leaders of some of the Mongoloid tribes who were threatening the integrity of their trade routes. His soldiers would follow him to death without question, and the new recruits lucky enough to be assigned to his band worshipped him as a god.

So, when the highest-ranked alpha in the Roman army stalked through the camp to view the new recruits, he noticed the one child not staring at him in awe, the boy crying into his lentils with an untouched cup of water by his side. He was tall for his age, though rangy with dark brown hair that desperately needed a cut, and his smoky scent carried a heavy tint of sandalwood, bitter with loneliness and loss. Gabriel raised his hand, freezing the guards walking by his side as he settled onto the log beside the boy. "Hey, kiddo; what's going on?"

The boy placed his bowl on the ground and wiped his eyes, adjusting the dark green cloth over his shoulder as children did when they were used to being scolded by their parents for neglecting their appearance. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't mean to cry," he murmured, bright hazel flicking up to meet Gabriel's warm gold. "I just . . . I miss my brother."

"Your brother?" Gabriel was expecting the boy to miss his mother, which was normal for pups in the army. They were taken very young, around twelve or thirteen, and Gabriel was entrusted with their lives and expected to turn them into productive adult members of society. "I'm not used to that one, kiddo."

"My mother died when I was a baby," the boy explained, either not noticing or not caring about the soldiers standing around them as he talked to the blond alpha. "My older brother pretty much raised me, but Dad sold him to the prince a few days ago and sent me here. I don't know if I'll ever see Dean again."

Oh, now he knew who this boy was. "Your John's son, Sam, right?"

"Yeah," the boy whispered.

"Don't hate your dad, kiddo. He did what he had to. The world isn't fair to male omegas, but he did the best he could for Dean."

"Why did he have to sell him at all? Dean can't have pups, but that doesn't mean he's useless! He could have taken care of me and Dad like he's been doing for years."

"You'll be away at war, Sammy. What would Dean do without you to watch out for him? He needs an alpha, and my baby bro is a good kid. He'll watch out for your brother."

Sam smiled softly, running his hand through his hair. "Dean calls me Sammy. Do you think . . . do you think Castiel will really take care of Dean?"

"Of course he will," Gabriel promised, reaching down for the boy's abandoned meal and handing the bowl back to him. "And I'm going to watch out for you, train you, and make sure that you become the greatest warrior in Rome so you can come back and see your older brother again. You'll make him proud, I promise."

Sam nodded, taking his lentils and his spoon. "You'll really train me? Make me a great warrior? I didn't want to be an alpha, but if I have to be one, I want to be the strongest one I can be."

"I can do that," Gabriel promised, running some quick calculations as he looked Sam up and down. He would easily break six feet, and his frame should broaden nicely. "I'm pretty sure you'll be the biggest soldier in the Roman army in a few years. Sam, I swear on my father's name that I will turn you into a warrior almost as famous as me."

Gabriel winked and Sam grinned, glancing around for the first time. He noticed the gathered generals' rank markings, seeing that the man talking to him had the same ones, but bigger. "Are you Prince Gabriel?"

"Yeah, but you can just call me Gabe. I don't care about that prince nonsense anymore. Being the head honcho in this army is enough for me."

"Gabe," Sam repeated uncertainly. "Ok, Gabe, I want to be a warrior like you."

"I can do that, kiddo."

* * *

**AN:**This is my first attempt at a historical AU, so I will attempt to use the correct ancient Roman names for places (the characters' names are not accurate, for obvious reasons, but I'll have some fun with that at the end of the fic). For example, China was known by the ancient Greeks and Romans as Seres, so that is the name of Kevin's homeland here. I'll put translations in the notes when I mention a new place. Britannia is modern-day England & Wales (not including Scotland or Ireland) ruled by the Roman empire around 110-120 AD (which is when this story takes place). The Gallic Wars Chuck refers to were decades of fighting in England & Wales, including the conquering of the Caledonians in 84, which would have been the battle that won John what noble titles he has now. After serving in that army, he eventually came home to Rome and took a mate. Just a note, this is the first of two Omega Dean fics I have written, as I generally go for Alpha Dean. Let's see how they go!


	2. Cleaned

Chapter 2: Cleaned

* * *

Dean didn't like April from the moment he first laid eyes on her. She was pretty enough, slim with Greek-pale skin and light brown hair with a hint of auburn, but there was a harshness in her muddy blue eyes that hinted at a dissatisfaction with her current position in life. She was a slave, the same as him, but as a female beta she had significantly more rights, and it was clear that the woman ruled the spacious apartments allocated to the prince's harem.

Uriel grumbled something as he entered the room, April arching up like a furious cat, her scent blackening with her dislike of the Africana beta. Dean entered the room and waited silently as April rose to her feet, leaving behind the two other female betas who had been sitting on the cushions with her. "Uriel," April snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "What can I do for you today?"

"Watch the attitude, _princess_," Uriel hissed back, reaching into the bag by his side and passing over a scroll. "Here's the poetry you requested."

The gift seemed to soothe the prickly beta, and she tucked the scroll into a pocket of her pale blue tunic before turning to face Dean. "So Castiel has chosen a new concubine?"

"An omega," Uriel pointed out, almost purring as he offered up that tidbit of information.

April's eyes widened. Male omegas were incredibly rare in the Roman Empire, and most betas didn't have the olfactory prowess to detect them at range. Dean waited patiently as the young woman scented him, the other two concubines moving close enough to confirm Uriel's words. "Well," April purred, running her fingers through her hair, "we've never had an omega here. I knew that Naomi was searching for one to take over when Inias's contract expires, but I didn't truly think she would be successful. What's your name and family, boy?"

"Dean, son of John Winchester of Roma and Mary Campbell of Athenae."

"John Winchester? I know that name." The concubine who spoke, a small woman with dark brown hair and eyes, reached out and just barely brushed Dean's bare arm with her fingertips, catching a hint of his scent and leaving some of hers behind. She seemed nice enough, though her speaking pattern was strange, and her scent wasn't muddy like April's. "Your father fought in the Gallic Wars. I thought you joined the army."

April rolled her eyes and headed back to her cushions, the dark-haired woman staying with Dean while the other one followed the Head Concubine. "Un, no, my brother is joining up, though. If I had been an alpha, I'm sure I would have."

"Well, you aren't, so welcome to the harem," April replied. "Uriel, the boy will need suitable clothes if he's to stay here; you know I don't like that plain white tunic look. We'll be taking him to the bathhouse immediately, also, so make sure it's stocked."

Uriel rolled his eyes and sighed. "Wow, April, it's like I've never delivered a new concubine into your _capable_ care before."

"Just do as you're told," April snapped back.

Uriel made a rude gesture and left the room, two other women entering the main chamber. The dark-haired beta led Dean to the cushions, helping him settle down as the other women moved close enough to catch his scent. "Girls, this is Dean, Castiel's newest concubine. Dean, I'm April as you've guessed, that overly friendly girl is Meg, this is Hester, and that's Hannah and Daphne." Hannah was dark-haired like Meg, but with bright blue eyes, Daphne was similar to April, but with chestnut colored hair, and Hester was older, blonde, and vaguely unpleasant-looking. Despite the variance in age and appearance between the betas, it was clear that Castiel had a type, Grecian. Even Dean had ancestry from that ancient empire, though Naomi probably hadn't been looking for that trait specifically due to the rarity of his subgender.

"Hi, Dean," Hannah greeted, smiling warmly as Daphne nodded her own greeting. "We have a male beta here, but he won't be spending time with us today. Hester got bitchy at him the last time Cas had a rut and we haven't seen him much since."

"It's ridiculous that Castiel pays a male beta instead of letting us help him with his ruts. He has four a year; that would be one for each of us."

Dean looked up at that, wondering why Castiel had told him that the beta females didn't want to assist with his ruts when Hester was angry that they weren't invited to join him. Was the prince not interested in women? Everyone had a preference, of course, but they rarely eschewed the presence of the other subgenders. Dean tended to prefer males, which he had never let his father know, but now that might work out for him since Castiel was a gorgeous alpha. Male omegas were rarely sold to females, as most female alphas liked to pair with betas.

"None of which matters because we're concubines and we bow to his whim," April replied, that hint of something _wrong_ in her scent strengthening.

"Of course," Hester replied. "I suppose we need to start working on this one, then, so he's ready when Inias's contract expires. He looks a little older than the ones we normally get."

"My dad was waiting to see how my brother presented."

Hester shrugged. "Whatever, it means you'll be physically big enough to bend over for Castiel a lot sooner than you normally would be. We've never had an omega, so I guess we'll need to track your heats and provide you with someone to help you through them. Castiel wouldn't bother with a slave, but his half-brothers aren't above it and Inias might be available. When was your last heat?"

Dean had seen Castiel's two half-brothers, and he truly hoped that he wouldn't be forced to ask one of them to help him through his heat. It might be better than going through another one alone, though, as the ones he'd had so far had been torture. "I just had one earlier this year, and one when I presented. The physician said that male omegas tend to have long gaps between heats since we aren't fertile, so it will likely be another three years before I have to worry about it again."

"Fine, we'll keep track of that. Meg, take him to the baths and get him dressed in something more presentable, assuming Raphael or Uriel did as they were ordered." Meg nodded and pushed herself to her feet, waving a hand at Dean to follow her deeper into the harem. Not really having any choice, the omega obeyed.

"Don't let April bother you too much," Meg offered softly as the pair entered the ornately decorated _apodyterium_ chamber that led to the harem bathhouse. In the city, the large public bathhouses had separate sections for males and females, but since males were so rare in the prince's harem, there was not a separate section for them. "She's . . . bitter."

"About what?" Dean stripped out of his tunic and folded it neatly, placing it on an overhead shelf with his sandals. There were no _capsarii_ to watch his clothes, but those slaves were often so dishonest in the city that it was a blessing to not have any here. He stared at the fabric for a moment, wondering how he had fallen so far that this was the sum total of his worldly goods, but he shook his head and turned toward the marble arch that led to the _tepidarium_. There was no point in being melancholy; this was his life now, and a slave had little need for personal effects.

Meg, who had also stripped down to her birthday suit, followed the omega softly. "She was the first of Castiel's concubines, long before Hester arrived. Naomi thought that she would be a sufficient companion for the prince, and for the first two ruts he was content with her. At the time, they didn't employ an omega sniffer here, but they hired a midwife a decade or so ago, and her mate is a female omega. They aren't as rare as males, of course, but the fact that she mated a female beta was news among the nobles for some time."

"Yes, I heard about her. Jody, right? And her mate's name is Donna."

Meg nodded, approaching the nearest bench and taking a seat. The floor of the room was inlaid with beautiful mosaic tiles, showing aquatic scenes in stunning color that were lit by sunlight from the windows overhead. The young woman was pretty enough, Dean mused to himself, but not his type at all. His sense of smell was quite acute, and he couldn't sense any arousal in her aroma so he must not be her type either. "They came to the palace as permanent servants to Caesar, though they are welcome to serve any noble in the city as long as no potential royal pup is left at risk. Donna has a superb sense of smell, and she can detect when beta females cycle, when we are at our most fertile."

Dean nodded as he sat down next to her, enjoying the relaxing feeling of just being _warm_. He knew that it would prepare his body for the heat of the bath proper. "Yeah, I can smell that, too. It was . . . distressing at first, just after my first heat, but I have gotten used to knowing peoples' fertility and emotions with just a sniff."

"April befriended Donna, asked if she would act as an unofficial sniffer. She's officially the midwife's assistant, but there aren't a lot of pups around here, so she was glad for something to do. A few months after they arrived, Castiel went into heat and Naomi sent for April. Donna had told April just the day before that she was entering the fertile phase of her cycle, and our beloved leader thought that she had found the perfect way to improve her station."

Dean tilted his head as he let the heat of the room seep into his tired body. There were jars and vials of scented oils and soaps on the ledge nearby, and Meg absently played with a few of her favorites as she relayed the story. They would return to this room after soaking in the baths and use _strigils_ to scrape their skin clean, massaging in scented oil afterwards. "She got pregnant?"

Meg nodded, stretching and smiling as her spine popped, releasing some tension she had been carrying that morning. "Yeah, she did. Castiel had befriended Donna and Jody without April's knowledge, and they told him that April had known full well that she shouldn't have attended him during his rut. He was furious, his parents were furious, even his brothers were furious. He told April that she would be demoted to a kitchen slave in Gaul for the rest of her life, and she just freaked out. She was so stressed that she lost the pregnancy, barely two months in, and our beloved prince finally calmed down. He didn't want a bastard pup, and he has always put a lot of effort into not having one. He can't really risk a pup with a concubine before he has one with a legitimate mate, anyway; you remember what happened with the last Caesar."

Dean nodded, running his hands through his hair. "Yeah, that was a bloody mess." The former emperor had three bastard alpha sons before siring his only legitimate one, Chuck, and his omega twin Amara. When Caesar died, the three other sons had fought Chuck for control of the throne, and he had been forced to kill his half-brothers and their sons to ensure his own rule. He would not kill their mates, but the women had been banished to live as servants to the gods somewhere in Hispania. "So Castiel forgave April, let her stay?"

"After a fashion. She can stay, she can rule the concubines and keep what little power that gives her in the palace, but she can never again grace his bed. He won't take any female during his rut now, hence the contract with Inias, but for April that punishment is the worst of all."

"Have you, uh, graced his bed?"

Meg shrugged, leaning back against the wall and staring at the windows overhead. "Only a few times. He's not . . . he doesn't really seem as interested in sex as his older brothers. Gabriel is a known hedonist, Michael is slowly making his way through the middle class female population of Roma, and there are very few slaves in the palace that Lucifer hasn't tried to mount. He's not supposed to approach us without our permission, but he rarely follows that rule unless Castiel is in the palace."

"He protects you from his brother?"

Meg hummed an affirmative. "I don't mind Lucifer most of the time. I've helped him with his ruts on occasion, but you can be sure that I visit Donna ahead of time and make sure it's safe. If one of us gets pregnant by someone other than Castiel, heads will roll. That's why all of the harem servants, the only males who really spend time with us, are Africana. You give birth to one of their pups, everyone will know."

Dean shook his head and rose from the bench, swiping at the thin sheen of sweat on his arms. He headed for the _caldarium_ and the hot water it offered, slipping into the broad pool gratefully as his fingers traced some of the mosaics embedded in the heated floor. "That's not so much a problem for me, though I doubt I will ever bend over for one of the servants or Lucifer. But you . . . do you want a pup someday?"

"Sure I do." Meg slipped into the water and leaned back to wet her bouncy hair, scrubbing her fingers against her scalp to free any dirt. "I was promised to an alpha back home, just after I presented, but there was some sort of fighting with the Caledonians on the northern border and my uncle had to pay Rome a pretty penny to send enough soldiers to quell the uprising. Caesar sent Gabriel's legion, and they crushed the enemy soundly. Part of the payment was either one male omega or five female betas to be slaves in the palace. My people protect their male omegas fiercely, value them much more highly than the rest of Rome does, and our original agreement with Julius Caesar ensured that our omegas could not be sold off our island. My uncle took that to mean that they should not be allowed to leave at all, so he sent five female betas."

"What happened to the others?"

"Well, Charlie was promoted to the Empress's Head Servant, Muriel is personal servant to Princess Anna, and Ellen and her daughter Jo are cooks in the kitchens. They're pretty famous, actually, and the Head Cook sings their praises."

"Why are you still a concubine, then, if they all got promoted out?"

"Someone has to watch out for Castiel. I'm fond of the guy, and he enjoys my company in a non-sexual way. We've become good friends over the years, and I worry that he would be too alone if I left. He needs a mate and some pups to settle him down. Once he has those, once I'm sure he's happy, I'll take him up on his offer for a ship home."

Dean smiled and dunked his head in the water, brushing the wet strands of hair off his face. "You miss Britannia, huh? My dad said it's a lovely island, if a bit foggy and wet most of the time. I always kinda wanted to see it."

Meg tilted her head curiously, examining Dean as if there was some secret just below the surface that she might understand by staring long enough. Something in her scent sweetened before fading, but it was so subtle that Dean almost missed it. "You're the first male omega I've spoken to since I came to the palace. They've become so rare in the southern half of the empire that someone could go their entire life without meeting one. It's not the same where I come from."

"No?"

"In the major cities in Britannia, we have almost a thousand times as many male omegas as Roma does. I wonder if something is wrong with the Roman and Grecian stock that you're slowly dying out. You guys have smaller families than we do, on average, so maybe that's part of it. I was thinking that maybe Castiel can sell you to me when he gets his mate and I can take you to Britannia and grant you your freedom. You aren't allowed that here, but my uncle would let you have a peaceful life."

Dean smiled and ducked his head under the water, drawing shapes on the edge of the bath when he came back up. "That's very kind of you, Meg, but I know my brother. When he's a bigshot in the Roman Army, he'll come back here and offer to buy me from Caesar, who by that time will be Castiel. I won't ever have a family or pups of my own, but I want to live my life with him and his family. I wish you luck in your plan to return to Britannia, though."

Meg nodded, an odd sadness in her eyes as if there had been so much more to her request than was on the surface, but the moment passed before Dean could think of a way to ask. They moved on to lighter topics after that, but the omega never stopped wondering what was so special about the northernmost Roman territory that Meg wanted him to see so badly?

* * *

April sighed and shook her head. "No, that color clashes with his eyes. Let's just stick with the dark green one with blue accents." From her tone of voice, it was clear that the head concubine doubted that Dean could ever look nice, so she had dropped her goal to "presentable". Dean just shrugged and switched tunics again, in general unconcerned with the amount of time he had already spent nude in this woman's presence. He belted the green one and pulled the dark blue sash over his shoulder, glad that this tunic was long and could keep him warm even in the cooler hallways of the harem.

"Ok, now that you don't look like you just walked in off the street, we'll work on some rules. First, of course, you can never look anyone ranked above you in the eye. That's not really so different from out there, but in here we're pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole. The harem and kitchen servants don't count, but anyone else does. Second, you are allowed to leave the harem only if you are accompanied by Uriel, Raphael, or Victor. They pretty much protect you and ensure your . . . virtue among the rest of the staff."

Dean snorted at that. "Virtue? I'm sterile; what does it matter?"

April growled in that watery, kinda not really scary female beta way, narrowing her eyes as Meg hid a grin behind her hand. "You still belong to Castiel and only he is allowed to use you. He may, in time, allow you some freedoms since you are only here for his ruts and since you are useless for breeding, but you may not make that choice on your own."

"When do I get to meet him again?"

"Not for years, at this rate," Hester answered absently, reading one of her favorite books and barely paying attention to the new concubine. "He doesn't like when a slave talks back, and talk is all you seem to do. You want to meet him, learn to keep silent."

April nodded at the observation. "Good point. We have some etiquette scrolls you can read, and I do expect you to practice silence the whole time. Daphne will fetch them for you, and you will memorize. Until then, Dean, you stay here."

There were a hundred scrolls total, covering etiquette and social laws for every position in Roman society. Dean wanted to point out that only a handful even applied to him, but one glare from his new taskmaster silenced his protest. Sighing, the omega settled into the cushions of the harem library and began to read.

Hours later, his stomach doing cartwheels under his ribs, Dean was finally allowed to put his scrolls down and stand. Hester watched him critically as he stretched his aching back, scoffing as he half-limped after her to the covered doorway in the back of the main room. "Where are we going?" Dean didn't expect an answer, having already learned in his short time as a slave that the tall blonde wasn't fond of questions, but she surprised him.

"The kitchen. The others are already there, waiting. We eat after the other servants, but before the rest of the slaves. If nothing else, we have rank amongst them. While we're waiting our turn, you are welcome to speak to the kitchen staff since they barely rank above slaves anyway."

Dean nodded, having read in the scrolls not to offer a verbal response when one would not advance the conversation at all. Monosyllabic sentences were to be avoided at all cost; they showed that he could not hold an intelligent conversation and concubines were expected to be able to entertain their owners in non-sexual ways when needed. As the son of Caesar and his heir apparent, Castiel certainly would expect intelligent conversation.

Hester, who had warmed slightly toward him, nodded toward the cluster of kitchen staff near the big windows where the water was piped in. Caesar's palace was very modern, as Dean would expect, with running water from the aquifers, and a big man with a neatly trimmed beard was washing some fruit under a spout. He dropped the cleaned fruit into a nearby basket and handed it to a rough boy with tousled brown hair, one not much older than Sam. Dean stared at the young slave and felt a tightness in his throat and a prickling behind his eyes. He took a deep breath to halt the onset of tears, reminding himself that he would see his little brother, one day, and maybe they could be together again. The big man, dressed in the fine linen that marked a highly-ranked servant, wiped his hands on his apron and turned away from the rabble near the water, bright blue eyes meeting Dean's watery jade from across the room. Frowning, the man waved toward the omega, beckoning him closer.

Dean glanced at Hester, who had joined April and Daphne near the windows, and shrugged. The woman had told him to make friends with the staff, so he headed over to meet the man near the table where a pack of boys were preparing a sweet fruit desert. He nodded toward the man, noting the laugh lines around his eyes and the tan color of his skin. This man was not from Roma, not originally, and it looked like he had traveled a lot in his life. Remembering his place, so different than it had been as the unpresented son of a noble, Dean bowed his head and avoided the man's intense stare.

"No reason to play politics here, _cher_," the man greeted, holding out his right arm where Dean could see it. Hesitantly, Dean reached out and grabbed the man's forearm in a greeting amongst equals, eliciting a chuckle from his new acquaintance. This was an alpha, a pretty strong one from his scent, and he was clearly in a position of authority among the kitchen servants and slaves. He must be the Head Cook, a prominent position in Caesar's household. "I'm Benny, of Avaricum, head Cook of Caesar. You're new here."

"Yes, I was . . . sold this morning."

Benny smiled kindly and patted Dean's shoulder, offering some of his strength and warmth to the boy. "The law isn't fair, boy. A person shouldn't become a slave because of his subgender. You're in the harem, right? Your parents must have been noble. You don't deserve this, but I know that you will survive it. I saw you with Hester, so you must be in Castiel's harem, right? He's a good sort. He won't hurt you."

"He, uh, he seemed nice," Dean replied, looking up as someone called Benny's name from across the room, gesturing wildly. The cook nodded in that direction and tapped Dean's arm, asking him to follow. Seeing that the other concubines were still waiting for their food, the young omega obeyed.

"At least you get to eat before the other slaves; most of my staff is much lower on the totem pole. This here is Ellen, my second in command. She's best with the savory stuff, meats and wild greens and the like. Her daughter, here, is Jo, a beast with fish and beer, but awful with anything sweet. She doesn't have it in her."

The mother was a strong beta with similar sun-kissed skin, though her laugh lines were a bit sterner and her temples were starting to gray. Still, everyone moved away when she approached, fish feeling the jaws of a hungry shark. Dean remembered that she had come from Britannia with Meg, and she seemed happy with her place here. "Who is this waif? He looks underfed."

Jo, a young blonde with light brown eyes, turned to sniff in Dean's direction, huffing under her breath before turning back to her table. "An omega. Castiel's, then. Someone is trying to buy favor with the Caesar again."

Ellen reached over from kneading her bread and smacked her daughter on the back of the head. "Don't make it harder on the boy than it has to be. He's an omega; he didn't ask to be a slave."

The younger beta whined but returned to her work without a fuss. There was a hint of sorrow in her scent, an apology to Dean, and he silently accepted it, trying to decipher the threads in her personal aroma. Sweet olive, he thought, and maybe cloves. That could be because she worked in a kitchen, he mused; Dean was still trying to get used to separating individual personal scents from environmental ones.

Benny leaned against Ellen's counter and picked up one of her spice jars. "What's the issue? One of your boys was losing his mind tryin' to get my attention."

"One of your damn sewer brats dropped a bag of silphium. I couldn't sell him for the value of that spice he lost, and don't think I didn't consider it!"

"Breathe, Ellen. How much did you recover? You're a wise woman, and I know you didn't let it go to waste."

Dean watched as the beta woman deflated somewhat, rolling out her ball of dough to prepare it for the oven. "Most of it, yes. And I tanned his hide good, you can be sure of that. He'll never drop a bag again."

"Go easy on the kids. They're just street orphans; they try their best."

"Yeah, well, I tasked Ash to watch them closer or I'd tan _his_ hide instead. It should work."

"Hmm, should. You didn't call me over here because a slave dropped a bag of silphium."

Ellen sighed as she wiped the last of the flour from her hands, turning to the filling she was planning to use for the bread. Unlike the common masses, Chuck Caesar and his family wouldn't eat plain, unflavored loaves. "No, not for that. But it is a symptom of a larger problem, my dear friend. That bag he dropped cost twice what it should have. Tell Benny what you heard, Ash."

"I heard that there's a bit of a scarcity in Cyrenaica," Ash replied, the blond carrying a bag of apples into the prep area and placing them near Jo's table. He would slice some up for desert, which Jo actually wasn't terrible at preparing. "A drought in Maghreb is affecting the growing region for the plant, and it can't grow here."

Dean furrowed his brow. He was familiar with silphium, of course; it was an incredibly common herb used in cooking throughout the southern part of the Empire, less commonly in the north and Britannia. He had known in a vague sense that it came from Cyrenaica, but not that it was being affected by a drought in Maghreb. "Why can't it grow here?"

Ash shrugged, barely giving the newcomer any of his attention. "No one knows. We've tried for decades, longer . . . it's so expensive, but everyone wants it. They pray for the drought to end; silphium is the main export of Cyrenaica so they need it to grow as much as possible. It must end eventually."

"This is Caesar's palace; we have priority on silphium shipments," Benny pointed out. "I will see if we can find a better merchant to deliver it if the current one has raised his prices. Where is Gadreel? He normally handles the spice shipments."

"Store room," Ash replied absently. "They brought in a huge supply of honey from the south today and he had to rearrange things to fit it all in there."

"Fine. Dean, it'll be another half hour at least before we serve anyone down here, but if you come with me to the storerooms, I bet we could find a quick snack."

Ellen chuckled as she scored her loaf to create eight evenly sized slices after it was baked. "A new charity case for you, eh, Benny?"

The alpha chuckled as he walked away, Dean close on his heels. No reason not to make friends with the Head Cook, especially when he had no rank or status in the palace.

Benny entered the cool storeroom, shooing a pair of slaves away who had been carrying bags of spices into the hallway to be sorted and returned later. "Gad, what are you doing back here?"

"Organizing," a soft, firm voice replied from the deep behind the stacks of supplies. Benny and Dean waited as the owner of the voice approached the door, bringing with him a tantalizing scent of freesia and lavender, two flowers that Dean was fond of. When the tall, broad man with light brown hair and ice blue eyes appeared, he wasn't holding any flowers, just a bag of lentils. He was dressed in a blue tunic with no collar, so he was ranked as a servant, but Dean knew what his nose was telling him.

"You're an omega," he breathed.

Gadreel's shock filled the room, Benny grabbing Dean's arm and jerking him deeper into the room and shoving him against a pile of grain bags. "How did you know?!"

"He's an omega," Gadreel chided, his shock already fading as he gained control of his emotions. Dean could tell, now that he was getting a second sniff, that the older man wore blockers, oils and lotions that would dilute and mask a person's natural aroma. He might also be taking some sort of medicine orally. Those sorts of things were not technically illegal, though more common in Seres or Maghreb, but an omega using them to hide his subgender certainly was not allowed. It was a crime punishable by castration and slavery for anyone assisting the omega, as well as flogging and the slave markets for the omega himself. "He can scent past my blockers."

"You told me that no one could, Gad," Benny hissed, still watching Dean warily from the corner of his eye. "Donna thinks you are a beta."

"Yes, but a male omega's sense of smell can be ten or more times stronger than a female's. We can scent a single drop of blood on a battlefield; do you think my blockers would fool me?"

"But, why? The penalty for hiding yourself . . . and you're in Caesar's palace, not some inn in Gaul. This is dangerous."

Benny sighed and stroked his beard, clearly calming his agitated alpha. "I was working fishing boats out west, on the coast of Mare Cantabricum, when my captain bought a dozen slaves to help for the season. They were the leftovers from the market in Lapurdum, all of them scrawny waifs who had been through too many households. Most were betas, of course, but there was one male omega in the lot. He had been orphaned when his father died on the Germanic front and his mother killed herself from grief. The boy was starved and beaten, with years of whip marks on his back from when he refused to bow or obey."

"To become a slave because of how you are born, it is not fair, my brother," Gadreel murmured. Now that Dean was looking closely, he could see the marks on Gadreel's arms from whips, though the faded white scars could easily be explained as rope marks from carrying loads of food or goods, as a kitchen servant would. "I fought every master, sought to escape constantly, but I was always found by my scent, beaten, and sent back to the markets. Benny saved me."

"I fell in love with him," Benny whispered, reaching out to squeeze the omega's hand. "When the season was over, I had earned enough money to buy Gadreel from my captain, and he was all too willing to sell a troublesome slave. We traveled to Avaricum and stopped at a temple to Eros on the way. The priests there, they understood our plight, and they offered to help."

"They gave me some oils and medicines that I can use to block my scent, water it down to a beta level, even if it is a bit sweet, and it covers that omega undertone that would give me away. We created a new identity in Avaricum; I had been given the slave name Ezekiel since I would never give my masters my real name. Now I was Gadreel of Avaricum and Benny claimed that town as his home, as well, become a fine cook and earning accolades throughout Aquitania. When the royal family came through town, Caesar was so impressed by his cooking that he invited Benny to come here, work as Head Chef. Twice a year, in a pattern that neatly covers my heats every three years or so, we take a trip home, traveling together since both our families live there. We have kept this secret for fifteen years."

Dean looked up at Benny, feeling a kinship with this pair. All they wanted was to live a normal life, one not ruled by the laws of male omega slavery, and he could understand that. "You would mate Gadreel if you could?"

"In a heartbeat," Benny replied.

"I won't reveal your secret," Dean promised. "If I wasn't lucky enough to have a father in favor with Caesar, your story could easily be mine. Maybe, one day, you can travel to Britannia; Meg says that male omegas have more rights there, more freedoms."

Benny chuckled. "Could you see me, traveling all the way up north? Maybe, one day, when I retire from here, we will go see the island. For now, we are content with this life."

"Do you get to . . . be together?"

Gadreel chuckled. "My sexual needs are met quite regularly and satisfactorily," he replied wryly. "Benny is Head Cook, so he can have a private room if he wishes, and he did ask that I be permitted to share it, since we have been together for so long as brothers. The Caesar allowed that, of course, and no one questions two men sharing a room. They assume that I am there for his rut, which is certainly something I help him with; an alpha's needs are never ignored."

Benny smiled and clapped Dean on the shoulder. "I will gladly call you friend, Dean, and watch out for you here. Please let me know if there is anything you need."

"I wouldn't refuse a loaf of bread," Dean replied, grimacing as his stomach growled.

Benny chuckled and led the pair out of the store room, pointing toward a table where leftover bread from the morning bake was sitting, some of it torn into but most of it drying for use in other recipes the next day. "I think I can accommodate that request, Chief. Eat up."

Taking a loaf of slightly dry, honey-sweetened bread, for the first time, Dean was able to see a future in this palace. Being Castiel's concubine would occupy almost none of his time, so he looked forward to having friends to talk to when the long months of tedious boredom in the harem started to wear on him. Some of the despair that had weighed on him for weeks since John announced his plans to sell his oldest started to fade, and Dean looked forward to finding happiness in his new life.

* * *

**AN:** Seres is China again, Maghreb is general northern Africa, Cyrenaica or Cyrene is the eastern coastal region of modern day Libya, Lapurdum is a coastal city at the southwestern point of France (pretty much Bayonne), Avaricum is near the modern city of Bourges in central France, and Mare Cantabricum is the Bay of Biscay off the western coast of France. All of the italicized words are the Roman names for the parts & instruments of the baths, so feel free to look those up if you are interested. There were so many types of baths during my research that I simply built out one that could have been used in the palace for the concubines (yes, I know that the Romans didn't have harems, but there is a very specific, historically accurate reason that I chose Rome for this story and added in the harem elements).


	3. Traveled

Chapter 3: Traveled

* * *

"When you lived in Britannia in Crowley's court, did you ever want to strangle him?"

Meg giggled, dipping her paintbrush into a red pigment she was quite fond of and coloring her sunrise a little more. Some of the vibrant colors were expensive and difficult to obtain, but Cas never balked at spoiling her. "Sometimes, yes, but he was only my uncle and I would never have been in a position to rule. You're the heir, and Caesar wants you to be prepared."

Cas, who only allowed his two favored concubines, his very close friends, and his family the honor of using that nickname, snorted from where he lounged to the side of the small plaza. Behind them, partially hidden by silky, purple-lined curtains, his room was being cleaned by a trio of household slaves, so the pair had escaped outdoors to talk. Cas rarely slept with Meg anymore, but their friendship was one of his greatest treasures. "Don't call him that when it's just us, Meg. Dad's got strange ideas about ruling, about keeping traditions, about not shaking anything up. But he's also the first Caesar in generations whose firstborn alpha son denied the throne, so we've already trampled on that status quo."

Meg shrugged, keeping her brushstrokes even as she changed colors to an orange she had mixed herself. "He's afraid of the Empire spiraling out of control. You're a better choice for Caesar than Gabriel, and your dad knows it, but he can't help but fear the future you may bring."

"I want it to be a good one," Cas mused, playing with the edge of his over tunic. He only wore the heavy toga in court, preferring his lighter linen fabrics for everyday use. "I was thinking about going to the market later, with that Head Cook you like so much. I need to help him find some new spice traders, and my presence can convince them to give us a better price. He's been asking me to go for weeks, but training has been a priority."

"So you have time this morning? And I am friends with Benny, but it's just that. He's not interested in any kind of romance."

Cas nodded, accepting that information. "If he changes his mind, or if you find someone you do develop feelings for, you know that I would let you go in a heartbeat, right?"

Meg smiled and put down her paintbrush, turning to meet Cas's azure gaze. "I know that, Cas, and I love you for it, but you still need me. I noticed that you didn't see any suitors this month, and that is concerning."

"I bear upon my shoulders the future of a fitful Rome," Cas countered, grinning slightly. "I cannot allow the indulgence of an extended courtship at this time. Perhaps, in a few years when the fighting at the Germanic border has stilled, I can be more frivolous."

"Your parents won't wait forever for an heir out of you."

"Don't remind me. Mother has been an absolute wreck since I cancelled my last betrothal. That girl from Egypt was her idea, not mine, and I found her scent revolting."

Meg nodded, standing and stretching her back to release the tension from sitting so long. "Odd timing, her going into heat just a week after arriving in Rome. You would think that her parents would have tracked that better, and pushed back the visit."

"They did track it," Cas growled, rising to his own feet and checking the lacing on his sandals. "They were hoping that I would find her scent pleasant and that it would overwhelm me. I do not like such underhanded tactics."

"Well, hopefully your mother learned her lesson with that one."

"Mother will never learn. She was lucky enough to catch the eye of Caesar and she relishes the power that such a match has given her. Choosing the mate of the future ruler of Rome is not a role she will ever give up."

"You can choose your own mate, Cas," Meg murmured, patting his shoulder comfortingly. "I know that it would be a scandal, but . . . maybe it's just the shakeup your family needs."

"Perhaps. Come, let's go see if Benny is free for a market trip. Do you think we should grab Hannah, too? She usually likes to get out."

"No, she's spending the day helping Amara weave a new dress." Hannah was the only one of Cas's concubines who enjoyed spending time with his spinster aunt, always eager to help her with any projects. Cas worried that the girl was lonely, and he had offered to help her find a mate, but she had politely refused.

"Fine. It can be just us, if you prefer."

"Actually, I was thinking that you could bring Dean along."

"Dean?" Cas walked to his changing room, nodding at his personal servant as he stripped down to his under tunic. Ishim, always perfectly groomed and polite, nodded and offered a mid-weight woolen tunic with red-purple patterns dyed across the hem. "April said that his training is not going well. It's a pity, too, because I was hoping to get to know him before my next rut."

"Dean's fine, April is the problem," Meg snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the wall. Ishim helped Castiel dress, offering him some jewelry that would impress the spice merchants, and the prince chose a few pieces to accent his outfit. "She doesn't like having a male omega in the harem; she doesn't even get along with Inias and he's on contract. Dean has learned the scrolls, he keeps quiet when necessary, and sometimes I think he is very sad. He misses his brother, he misses his life, and the place of a concubine who is not allowed to see his master is no better than a kitchen slave. Who, by the way, are the only people he really spends any time with."

"He has been here over a year," Cas mused, quickly running his fingers through his dark hair and heading for the door. "The only reason I waited to meet with the rest of you was your young age when you arrived, but he's over seventeen now. I suppose it would do both of us good to meet."

"You mean that your spying on him over the past year didn't count as meeting?" Meg's voice was innocent, but there was a sparkle in her dark eyes that belied her sweet tone.

"I wasn't spying," Cas argued, the slight waver in his voice contradicting the words. "I just wanted to see how he was getting on."

"And catch his scent? I've never seen you so intrigued by anyone before."

"I must admit, my alpha and I are in agreement when it comes to Dean," Cas murmured, heading toward the harem and the two alphas guarding that wing. Garth, though wiry, was tough and much stronger than his size would suggest, having served Castiel well in the army before being rewarded with a palace post for his service. Cain, a bigger man with graying hair and a rough beard, was technically past his prime, but as no one was willing to challenge him for the position of Harem Guard, he still held his post. He had been deadly in his day, but the man had mellowed somewhat while serving Castiel.

"Highness, welcome."

"Thank you, Cain. I am taking Meg and Dean to the city today, so have Virgil scare up a few guards to accompany us. As usual, I would prefer not to deal with Azazel and his team."

"Of course not, Highness. We will have four guards here when you emerge."

Cas nodded and headed into the harem wing with Meg on his heels, wondering why he had gone to so much effort to avoid it. Yes, Dean was lovely and his scent intrigued the alpha, but that shouldn't have been a reason to avoid his own harem. Silently berating himself, Cas entered the spacious main room, noting Hester and Daphne studying in their nest of pillows in the corner, April rising from her own seat to bow a greeting. "Highness, it is good to see you. You have been sorely missed in these apartments."

Cas shrugged. "I have been very busy. I am heading to the market this morning and wish to have company for my trip."

Inias entered the room from the directions of the baths, his dark hair curling wetly against his neck. "Castiel, so nice to see you here. If I had known you were coming, I would have invited you to the baths."

Cas chuckled at the young man's insinuation, patting him on the shoulder warmly. Inias had no actual obligation to the prince outside of his heats, but he enjoyed flirting with the alpha when he got the chance. "Maybe next time; I'm on a schedule today." Cas looked around, counting heads and frowning slightly. "Where is Dean? I would have expected to see him in here, with you, during the day."

April shrugged and turned away, having already known that Cas would not have come for her. They were barely on speaking terms at the moment, though he tended to be friendlier toward his first concubine after his rut. "He doesn't fit in with us very well and tends to keep to himself."

"You mean he doesn't fit in with _you_," Meg snapped, heading deeper into the apartments to find the wayward concubine. April didn't bother to answer, returning to her scrolls as Castiel waited patiently in the center of the room.

It didn't take long for Meg to return, a blond omega in tow. Dean had exchanged his dark leather collar for a richly dyed purple one months ago, one that matched the other concubines and declared his high position among the palace slaves. He was dressed in a simple pale blue tunic that brought out the color in his eyes, but he wouldn't raise his gaze to meet Cas and his scent was muted.

This wouldn't do at all, Cas mused to himself. The alpha stepped forward until he could touch Dean, reaching out to raise the boy's head until their eyes met. He had freckles across his nose, probably enhanced by the time he spent in the protected harem garden, and he looked quite a bit healthier than when he arrived at the palace. "What did I say when we first met?"

Dean tilted his head curiously, but a smile lit his face as he remembered, standing up straighter and meeting Cas's gaze confidently. His apple blossom and cinnamon scent warmed in greeting, and Cas let his own honey and ginger grow in response. "I'm sorry, I forgot. It's been over a year since I last saw you."

"Well, I shall have to spend more time with you so you don't forget again," Cas chided, smiling softly. "Meg and I are going to the market today; would you be interested in coming?"

"You shouldn't take him; he isn't well trained at all," April argued, disdain in her voice.

Dean's head started to fall as he pulled away sadly, clearly used to the criticism from the head concubine, but Cas reached out and gripped the boy's left shoulder, halting his escape. "Not everyone responds to your version of training positively," Cas snapped, eyes flashing red as he glanced down at the blonde woman. April had the good sense to shut her mouth and look away, an apology in her scent. "Dean is fine, and certainly ready for a simple trip to the market. Meg, Dean, let's go."

* * *

"Is she like that to him a lot?"

Meg shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. She's always like this when you get a new concubine, though, especially since Dean is slated to share your ruts. As that is an honor she is denied, she gets bitchy pretty easily with him."

"She brought that on herself," Cas murmured, glancing over his shoulder at Dean walking a few paces behind him, just in front of Benny and Gadreel with their donkey and cart. "She chased the last two away, but that's not an option here. I shall endeavor to ensure that she understands her place in my household."

"You'll let me watch, right?" Cas chuckled at Meg's enthusiasm, knowing that the young beta had no love for the Head Concubine.

Dean sensed Cas's gaze on him and looked up, vibrant emerald eyes shining in the sunlight. He wore a thin veil over his head and wrapped around his face, covering his nose and protecting him from the strong scents of the market, though it also served as a mark of fidelity to his master. Cas waved Dean forward, forcing the entire retinue to slow until the omega reached his side, smiling as he reached up to adjust the boy's veil. "Are the scents too strong for you here?"

"No, sir, it's fine. I've gotten used to my enhanced sense of smell. It is nice in the harem that everything is kinda neutral, so Uriel got me some blockers I could spray on my veil to make being outside easier."

"Good. It's said that a male omega has the sharpest sense of smell of any of the subgenders; I've heard that you could smell a single drop of blood in the middle of a battle."

Dean chuckled and shook his head, loosening up the more time he spent with the alpha. "I think that could be an exaggeration. I mean, in an army, with all of that sweat and leather and alpha musk, you think I could smell a pricked finger?"

"Maybe, but I think it may be true," Meg replied, peeking around Cas to catch Dean's eye. "I know a few male omegas back in Britannia who could detect a pregnancy two weeks before the official female sniffer."

"Well, if anyone here gets pregnant, I'll test your theory."

Cas grinned and reached out to place his hand on the small of Dean's back, using it to guide the omega toward the flashier part of the market. His guards hated when he strolled freely among the commoners, but Castiel was one of the most accomplished and beloved warriors in Rome with little to fear from his people. "Here, Benny, I found the merchant we're looking for."

"About time," the cook grumbled, tapping Gadreel's shoulder and nodding toward the stalls ahead of them. "Your Highness, this is the section of the market for Maghreb traders." Benny was one of Cas's close friends and allowed to use his name, but in public he would refer to the prince formally.

"Yes, I thought we should establish a more direct trade agreement. The palace traders are having trouble getting their hands on some of our herbs and spices, but the traders who are coming directly from Maghreb might be able to improve our supply."

Castiel led the group to a modest booth near the center of the strip, clearly a prime spot but run by traders who did not care much for flashy displays. The prince spotted a heavyset, gruff looking man with a worn but brightly colored tunic, a faded blue cap on his head, and a string of beads around his neck. Roman men did not often cover their head, but it was clear that this merchant preferred the look. He looked up as the group approached, tilting his head and crossing his arms over his chest. Even without catching his scent, Cas could tell from that defensive action that this was an alpha, certainly as shrewd of a businessman as he had heard.

"Greetings, my friend. I am told that you are Robert, of Germania and Cyprus, trading in goods from various parts of Africa."

"That's me. I go by Bobby most of the time, less of a mouthful."

"I am Castiel, High Prince of Rome, and I desire a better acquaintance with you."

"Who is this?" A rough, older alpha with dark skin and a graying beard emerged from the back of the shop, carrying a large box filled with jars of oil and placing it on the shelf behind Bobby. He eyed the newcomers with distrust, but it seemed that the scowl on his face was permanent and not an indicator of some specific aggression.

"Rufus, if you scare away another one of my customers, I'm selling you to the next slave trader I find," Bobby growled, swatting his partner's arm.

"Good luck; not a one of them would buy a crusty old bastard like him," Dean piped up, meeting Bobby's eyes as the old alpha looked up in shock. Castiel turned to scold his omega, sure that the boy had ruined this trade deal, but Bobby burst out laughing, reaching over to clap Rufus on the back until the old Africana alpha offered a chuckle and what might pass for a smile.

"Alright, you got me there. How do you think I got stuck with this old miserable excuse for a trading partner in the first place? Found him in Judea about three decades ago and thought I could use a friend on the routes. He's alright, I suppose. Prince, that omega of yours is pretty sharp; I've never met one who is brave enough to talk before."

"I wasn't born a slave," Dean replied, a hint of fire in his eyes. "I was born a citizen, son of a nobleman, and I don't belong in chains any more than Rufus there."

Bobby nodded, somber again. "You're right, kid. It's a bad lot you got there. How's this prince of yours; is he worth doing business with?"

One of the guards, a stripling whose name escaped Castiel, moved to object to the offhanded way Bobby had referred to his master, but a raised hand silenced his protest. Dean glanced at the prince, almost asking for permission, but Castiel shook his hand and waved toward Bobby. He would let the omega say whatever he wished. "He's been fair to me, and he seems nice from the two times we've spent time together. More importantly, he is friends with Benny here, our Head Cook, and Benny has been one of the few people in the palace to offer me kindness. I would like to help them, and I think maybe you have what they need."

Bobby nodded and reached up to tip his cap. "Alright, Prince Castiel, please be welcome in my shop." Castiel nodded gratefully and placed his hand on Dean's lower back again, guiding the omega into the somewhat enclosed area, letting the boy take a seat with Meg on one side and Gadreel on the other. He and Benny moved to stand with Bobby and Rufus, leaving the guards waiting anxiously outside.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with us, Bobby. We usually deal with traders from the city, ones who buy our herbs and spices in the market then sell them to the palace at a slight markup. However, there are certain supplies that we are no longer getting a good price on, most of which are from Africa which is your primary trade route."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed some shortages here and there. I tend to trade gold, gems, and jewelry from Aegyptus, but I do dabble in the spice markets from time to time. I have good contacts in Alexandria and I know a number of spice traders from India who sell there. What are you looking for?" Castiel passed him a scroll, one that Benny had put together for him, and watched as the alpha read the list. "Salt, pepper, cloves, ginger, cassia, and cinnamon are no problem, and I can certainly get a good deal on those. These perfumes listed are rare, but manageable. However, the markets in Alexandria have not carried silphium in measurable quantities in almost two years now."

"I know, that's why I came to you. Our traders have found only limited supplies, and much of it is getting bought in other ports before reaching Roma. Certainly you have some idea how we can get a reliable supply of silphium for the palace."

"Drought must be getting worse than the oracles predicted," Rufus mumbled, reading Cas's list over Bobby's shoulder. "The desert's gonna swallow everything up, won't be no people living down in Maghreb anymore."

"Don't be melodramatic," Bobby snapped, rolling the scroll carefully and scratching his beard. "I know a few folks down in Cyrenaica who own a lot of land, right where silphium grows wild. I bet they're hoarding supplies, waiting for the market to get even more desperate. Still, it's a risk to tap into it, because the land where it can grow is getting scarce. They won't sell to a mainstream trader, but if I say I have an exclusive contract with Caesar and his family, they would sell to me."

"If you can get silphium to us at half the price it's going for in the open market, I'll get you an exclusive contract, including gold, gems, ivory, grains, olive oil, you name it."

Bobby glanced at Rufus, grinning at the older alpha nodding enthusiastically. "I don't deal in all of those goods in sufficient quantities to supply your family, but I will take over as your palace buyer and procure everything you need for a good price."

"I can make that deal. Benny, I'd like to introduce you to the new palace goods suppliers."

"Pleasure," Benny greeted, chuckling at Cas's words.

"Just outta curiosity, who recommended Bobby to you?" Rufus took his partner's list but never dropped his eyes from the prince as he questioned the origin of this particular journey.

"Uh, if you must know, my aunt, Princess Amara, said that you were good and honest souls. She said that you have trade routes and contacts that would serve me, no matter my need."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, that follows. Nice to know she remembers us."

"You've dealt with my aunt before?"

"Just once. She needed a package transported, and we obliged her. While you're here, I do know someone in the market today with a few bags of silphium. I can't get you half price, but I know I can haggle something reasonable."

"Alright, let's go."

Rufus rolled his eyes at the prince's eagerness. "Don't understand what you palace folk like so much about it. I can't stand the flavor, but y'all put it in pretty much everything, all across the Empire. Even the border states have been using it for decades, but I don't get it."

"It was the favored spice of Romulus, and we honor him by growing and consuming it," Cas replied, waving for the two concubines and Gadreel to follow him. "It's been a valued trade commodity since the time of Greek city-states, though the scrolls indicate that they used it sparingly. It has medicinal properties, also, and is valued for its ability to keep Romans healthy throughout the Empire. It's worth its weight in gold, though we are tired of paying nearly that price in the recent years."

"I can imagine. Come; let me take you to my friend."

* * *

Dean collapsed on the bench beside Cas, grinning as the alpha patted his shoulder. "This is a bit more walking than you're used to, huh?"

"A bit. Ever since I presented, I've spent most of my time indoors, reading or learning skills that would be considered appropriate for an omega. Being in the market is not on that list."

"It's certainly not on April's list," Meg added, rejoining the pair with a bowl of food from the street vendor in each hand. One of the guards—Cas thought his name was Cole—held another, bowing to the prince as he handed it over, Dean taking one from his fellow concubine. Bobby and Rufus had returned to their stall, having some gemstones to offload before starting their trip to Cyrenaica, so the trio ate their midday meal alone.

"I thought we would head over to the clothing vendors when we're done," Cas offered, eyeing Dean's tunic critically. While male omegas were expected to dress the same as females, it would perhaps be prudent to provide the boy with new clothes instead of what Cas could only assume were Hester's hand me downs. "I've seen some lovely green tunics with gold embroidered hems and matching silk _palla_ that would really bring out the color in your eyes."

Dean looked up from his meal in shock, glancing at Meg to confirm that this wasn't a joke. "For me? Why would you buy clothes for me? I'm your youngest, lowest ranked concubine and you haven't even . . . spent time with me yet."

"Not in that way, no, but that doesn't mean you should be clad shoddily. April, Hester, and Daphne certainly never lack for ways to ask me for more clothes, perfumes, and gems. My harem used to be nearly twice the size, but I got tired of the constant demands from women I didn't really like at all."

Meg snorted. "Yeah, some of those women were just ridiculous. Who was April's second when I joined up? Dumah?"

"Arrogant bitch," Cas growled into his bread. "One of mother's prized deals, a female omega, but she was born a slave and couldn't mate Caesar's son. I eventually found a trader from India who was looking for a mate and not bound by Roman concepts of citizen, freedman, and slave. She seemed happy to go, since he was wealthy, and that's all she ever really cared about."

"You liked Tessa and Hael well enough," Meg pointed out.

"Hael was a child," Cas argued, taking a sip of his wine as Dean watched the pair of them argue about the prince's former concubines. "She wanted the glory of belonging in the palace and she, for some reason, idolized me, even though I never took her to bed. Honestly, her obsession was a little frightening."

Meg shrugged. "Her new mate seems fine with her. He's noble and thankfully lives very far away from here."

"Do you free all of your concubines?"

Cas shrugged at Dean's question. "I try to, everyone except April. They're all here because my mother wants them here or because someone wants to buy favor with Dad; they deserve a better life than being a slave to someone like me who isn't all that interested in sleeping with them."

Dean's scent soured instantly, dozens of men and women instantly pulling away from their seats near the food vendor. Even Cas's guards shivered and stepped back, though they didn't actually abandon their prince. Meg whined and tucked herself closer to Cas, instinctively searching for the most dominant person in the market to protect her from whatever was upsetting her friend.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Cas had very little experience with female omegas and basically none with males, so the boy's scent was confusing and overwhelming at the same time.

Dean brought his veil up to cover his face, tear-filled eyes dropping to the ground. "Meg said that four of her friends came here from Britannia with her as slaves, two of them to your harem, but you granted both positions as servants in the palace within a few months of their arrival. Now you're listing all of these women you granted freedom to, and I just . . . I can't have that. I can't be free and live the life I want."

Cas reached up and cupped Dean's chin in his hand under his veil, stroking the boy's cheek with his thumb until green eyes rose to meet his once more. Slowly, Dean's distress scent faded and the market returned to its former hubbub of activity. "I know. It's not fair. If I could give you freedom, Dean, if I could let you follow your brother to the army or whatever life you would have made as the sons of a nobleman, I would. I told my parents I never wanted a male omega in my harem. After Dumah, I didn't want an omega at all. But you would have gone somewhere far worse, dear boy. Lucifer and Michael asked for you, after they caught a glimpse of you in the market." John had taken both boys out nearly a year earlier, presumably because he needed their assistance to carry back supplies, but Dean had known it was so potential buyers could see him and make an offer. It was the only time he left his father's estate after presenting until the day he was given to Castiel.

"I wouldn't want one of them," Dean whispered. "I know you saved me, but I wish you didn't have to. Why did the gods curse me to be an omega?"

"I don't know," Cas whispered, pulling the teen into his arms. Dean only resisted for a moment, letting the alpha comfort him with his touch and that overwhelming scent of ginger-sharpened honey. "I'm sure your father made all of the right offerings, prayed on the right days, and went to the right temples before your heat. Sometimes the gods don't care and we are left to pick up the pieces. There are fewer and fewer male omegas born in Rome as the decades pass, so maybe one of them is answering, albeit slowly. I promise that you will always have a place with me, even as Head Concubine once I decide that April has served long enough, and even if you leave to find a better master or a better life, I would never deny you the chance to return. As long as I am prince or Caesar, you will have a place with me."

"Thank you, Castiel," Dean whispered into his collar, tears slowly drying on his cheeks. It was the most informal he had ever been with anyone from the palace, but the prince found that he didn't want even that much distance between them.

"Call me Cas."

"Okay. Cas."

* * *

Meg glowered at the harem servants as they carried in bundles of cloth and bags of supplies that Dean would use to create his own wardrobe. He had warned the prince that he wasn't good at clothes-making, but Meg had offered to help as part of his education. The fine golden necklace hung from his neck, and Cas had even found him a lovely simple silver ring engraved with the prince's name in one of the stalls. Cas hung back from the commotion as the market goods were delivered and sorted, grabbing Dean's arm and pulling him against a marble pillar.

"It's getting late; I thought we could eat in my chambers and you can tell me about your brother. From what I saw of him, he seems like a sweet boy."

"He is," Dean grinned, "but he's going to be a terrifying warrior when he grows into his frame. I'm happy to eat with you, of course, but Uriel closes the harem just after sunset so I need to return to my chambers by then."

"Or you can spend the night with me," Cas offered. At Dean's shocked face, the prince grinned. "Not like that, not yet. I don't always agree with April's training regimen, but there are certain things about partnering an alpha that you must be prepared for, else you could be injured. I just would like the company in my bed. If you don't mind."

"Cas, of course I don't mind, I would really enjoy that. But, I can't actually say no."

"Sure you can. I don't care what April's scrolls say; if one of you doesn't want me or isn't in the mood one night, I would never force myself on you. Why do you think I promoted Charlie to a personal servant, one who now serves my mother? She doesn't like men."

"She has a preference? I didn't think that was allowed."

Cas smiled secretively as he took Dean's arm and backed away from the main hall, heading toward his rooms. Meg waved goodbye, following the servants back to the harem wing and leaving the pair alone for the night. Cas didn't speak until he and Dean had returned to the alpha's chambers and the privacy they offered. "I've found a number of women who have a preference for female partners or mates. There are not many female alphas, and most of them are pressured into mating male betas for appearance sake, but I do know a few who have taken female partners instead. A female alpha can breed a female beta or omega, though it's difficult for the first and rare to hear about the second. Charlie wants a female mate someday, and she certainly never wanted to share my bed. I let her go to find her own happiness."

Dean removed his light veil and placed it carefully on an empty shelf in Cas's clothing chamber, wringing his hands in front of his tunic. "What if . . . what if I said I might have a preference? I've never been with anyone, of course, but I have been attracted to males, especially alphas, more than females. Everything else about being an omega sucks, but being allowed to have sex with a male alpha without society judging or humiliating me is probably the only perk."

Cas grinned and watched Dean remove his _palla_ and hung it next to the alpha's favorite _lacerna_, the one that was dyed a true, deep, Tyrian purple. It has probably cost Cas's weight in gold, but it had been a gift from his father when his legion returned home from a glorious campaign in Assyria holding the border against the Parthians. As an omega, Dean was expected to dress in traditionally female garments, like the _palla _and _stolla_, but there was no actual law preventing him from wearing a man's tunic. "I think maybe it's natural to have a preference in some sense. I believe that there are people who are equally happy with any partner, but to force everyone in society to act like they are can't be healthy. Charlie prefers female, alphas or betas, and you prefer male alphas. There's no shame in having a preference."

"It's not that I haven't seen women I would be attracted to," Dean argued. "And since I can't have pups, I shouldn't care if it's an alpha."

"But you do care," Cas pointed out. "You want a male alpha and some part of you wants the illusion of being bred, doesn't it?"

Dean hung his head and nodded, suddenly looking very small. "My dad told me that to want a thing I can never have is an affront to the gods who gave me what blessings I already possess."

"I don't think that's true. The gods are often capricious and cruel, so thank them for those things that are good and helpful, and beg them to change the parts of life that are unfair. Do you think I ran a campaign for ten years, led an army against the worst that the Parthians could throw at us, and hold my dying soldiers in my arms without railing against Mars for failing to help? Do you think I did not beg Vejovis to keep them in the mortal realm just a little longer? My words, in both directions, must have swayed the gods, because we did win, and I lost a very small number of my men in comparison with the generals of other legions. Your prayers, however you made them and whomever you made them to, brought you to me. I can't give you pups, and I don't even know what god you should curse for that, but I can give you affection and I'm definitely willing to buy into the breeding fantasy when I go into rut."

Dean had to swallow a couple of times before he could speak, unable to contain the emotions swirling through his scent. "I think I would like that," he finally managed.

Cas chuckled and reached out to cup Dean's chin in his hand, rubbing the boy's cheekbone for a moment before letting his arm fall. "Ishim, Dean and I will be having our meal in here. See if Anna is up to joining us, would you?"

The servant, who had slipped into the main room in Cas's suite without anyone noticing, nodded once. "Of course. Muriel did bring word earlier that your sister was looking for you, so I would be willing to presume that she would appreciate the invite."

"Good, Ishim, thank you."

Cas led Dean to his main room and settled the boy beside him on the comfortable lounges, taking a jug of wine and pouring some for both of them. "Cas, I really enjoyed spending time with you today, but April is right. I'm not that well trained."

Cas nodded. "I know. I mean, I don't always like her methods, but none of the concubines she trained have ever been reprimanded by my mother or acted out in public, and those are qualities that members of my harem must have. It protects you, especially when I am away at war. All of my concubines must also be able to . . . survive my rut."

"You said that they are unusually strong. Meg tells a . . . different story."

"Both stories are true. My ruts _are_ unusually strong, and I do prefer not to have females when it happens. April . . . betrayed me. It's not like I can't impregnate a female normally, but it is so much easier when I am in rut. Donna reports the status of my concubines to me, and I only call them to my bed when they are far out of season. Inias is only here because I cannot stand to be alone during my rut. I tried, but it is torture. I think it must be the same for your heats."

Dean shuddered at the memory. "I've had two heats, and my dad had to lock me up for the second one. I just wanted . . . relief. I wanted an alpha, any alpha, and I would have done anything to get to one. Thankfully, he was able to stop me, otherwise . . ."

"Otherwise you wouldn't have been suitable for sale," Cas murmured, staring into his wine. "I know, it isn't fair. An alpha always wants to be his omega's first. There have only been a few female omegas in my harem, but normally they came to me just after their presentation, so there was no concern that they had belonged to another. Mother was worried about you when John brought his suit, worried that you were old and had passed your second heat. She wouldn't have let Father buy you unless you were untouched."

"What about my next one? What's going to happen then?"

"April does have a section in her training scrolls about that," Cas mused, "but it's a simple enough answer. If you desire a partner, as long as you have shared my bed at least once and therefore bear my scent, it is permitted for you to seek someone out. As a male omega, you have much more freedom than a female since you can't get pregnant, but it is highly frowned upon for anyone to knot you other than me, even while you are in heat. Generally, I would recommend a beta because of this, even Inias, but I wouldn't stop you from finding someone compatible during that time. Female omegas often contract with the town brothel for one of their male omegas; they are the perfect partners."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, sterile at both ends. I get it."

"Do you have a preference? You've been here over a year, so you've met most of the staff."

"I'm not interested in anyone on the staff. I mean, I think Benny would help me out if I asked him and truly had no other option, but I don't want the harem servants or the guards or even your half-brothers. Trust me, Hester recommended most of that my first day. She also said you'd never had omegas and that they weren't used to tracking heats, so I guess this issue has never really come up before."

"I never had any males and no females long enough for one to go into heat. Dumah was enough that I never desired another. Hester, who knows of my issues with female omegas, is one of the older members of my harem, and she has some pretty impressive birth control methods. I've actually considered letting her share one of my ruts, especially since she sleeps around with both of my brothers and has never borne a child, but Inias has been sufficient."

"My next heat isn't for a couple of years; I'm sure I'll figure something out by then."

They were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, Ishim entering the room and announcing Anna, Castiel's youngest sibling and Chuck's only surviving daughter. She was a beta, with that calm, soothing demeanor that one expected from Caesar's daughter, one that she had certainly cultivated from her aunt. Her red hair stood out in her family where brown was so common, and she was quite lovely, enough that Dean wouldn't have objected to being her concubine if Cas had not wanted him. She greeted her favorite brother warmly, joining them in the eating area as they waited for the kitchen to deliver their meal.

"Dean, it's good to see you out of the harem suite. Did you enjoy your trip to the market with Cas this morning?"

"I, uh, it was instructional," Dean managed, trying to keep from meeting the princess's gaze. "We met a merchant who can supply the palace better with certain essentials goods."

"Ah, wonderful. If we run out of cinnamon again we might have a riot." Anna glanced over at Dean, taking a quick sniff of the boy's scent, and grinned. "I guess we could bottle the aroma that your new concubine is giving off. Smells just like it."

Dean blushed and tried to hide, looking up when Cas chuckled and reached over to squeeze his knee. "You smell just like cinnamon, Dean; you can't fault her nose. Do you detect the apple blossom scent, too?"

Anna shrugged, looking up as Ishim and her own personal servant Muriel entered the suite, leading a trio of kitchen slaves bearing their meals. "I wouldn't know what an apple blossom smells like, but I guess there's a floral undertone. I'll go to the orchards next spring and see if I can get a good comparison."

Cas chuckled as he took the goblet of wine from Ishim. "It matters not. You should be more concerned with your own future than my concubine's scent. How did your last courtship go?"

Anna shook her head. "Not good. Do you think we could find some alphas from a foreign royal family for me to try on for size?"

"You don't want to be mated?"

Anna chuckled at the omega's question. "You caught that, did you? I'm not too keen on it, no. I used to fall in line with Mother and Father's plans, but lately their requests have felt more like a cage than anything else. I want to escape, and a foreign prince might be just the ticket."

Cas ate his meal in silence for a while, humming softly to himself. "I can ask my new merchant if he knows of any eligible bachelor nobles in Alexandria or Cyrenaica, I suppose. You've never looked south for partners."

"True. Thank you, Cas. That would be nice."

The rest of the meal was quieter, the sporadic conversations straying to simple matters like the new silk trader who was visiting the palace in the next month, purportedly bringing beautiful dark purple fabric with him. They watched the sun set in a riot of dark reds fading to the indigos of night as they finished eating, Anna finally retiring and leaving Cas alone with his concubine.

Dean stifled a yawn as he watched Ishim snuff most of the lamps, only leaving two near Cas's bed burning. "Sir, unless there is anything else, I shall retire for the night."

"Of course, Ishim. Have a good night." He stood as Ishim left, removing his heavier outer tunic and sandals, running his fingers through his hair as he headed for the bed. He waited until Dean had removed his long _stolla_ and was also in his plain, short under tunic before speaking again. "He's in love with one of my concubines."

Dean nodded sagely. "Sure, I know. He always makes sure that he is the one to escort Inias back to our wing after his visits with you are over."

Cas narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, pulling back the blankets on the bed and waving Dean over. It was still warm at night, though they normally had a nice breeze to keep the air from getting too oppressively heavy, so the blankets were quite thin. Alphas produced a lot of body heat, so Dean wasn't worried about being cold. "Ok, but I can't figure out which one. His only real friend here is Muriel, but even she doesn't know."

Dean slipped under the blanket and extinguished the lamp on his side of the bed, Cas doing the same until they could only see each other in the moonlight. "Cas, he escorts _Inias_ back. He doesn't stay to talk to the girls, just walks with your contracted concubine."

"He . . . he's in love with Inias? But . . . there are no legitimate relationships between two men that can really work out. The receiving man would become _infamis_ and potentially lose any rights of the freeborn or citizen. Inias can only perform the role now because of our contract, which grants him the rights of a citizen upon its termination, after which he has said that he will gladly take a serving role in the palace."

"Cas, I don't think either one of them cares about that. Sure, he would lose some protections under Roman law, but he would have more rights than a slave or even a concubine. They wouldn't be able to mate or anything, but they could be together. Certainly you don't think that all male/male relationships in Rome are between an alpha and his concubine."

Cas chewed his bottom lip, falling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "No, I don't pretend that. Even when you account for the brothels in every city in Rome, there aren't enough male betas and omegas to partner every alpha in rut. Since there is a stigma against women who assist their mates during that time, there must be some male citizens who allow alphas to mount them despite the risks. But still, I like Inias. He's been a good companion, certainly the first of my male betas I would ever call friend. If he partners with Ishim, everything I did to get him a better place in society could be ruined."

"What if he cares about love more than his position in society?"

"I don't know," Cas whispered. "I wish . . . I wish this was something I could change, but the taboo against a citizen male being penetrated during sex is more ingrained in our society than the prejudices perpetrated upon our male omegas."

Dean smiled and settled down into the bed, tucking one arm under his head and holding the other against his chest. He really wanted to cuddle closer to Cas, but he wasn't sure the prince would allow a new concubine such familiarity. "What's the point of being Caesar someday if you can't change the world for the better? And, if you can't, you can at least let Ishim and Inias have their love in the secrecy of the palace. They wouldn't be the first such couple to find sanctuary within these walls."

"Maybe you're right. I don't put any restrictions on Inias's time, as long as he is available for my ruts, and I can keep this to myself. Thank you for telling me, Dean."

"Of course. Goodnight, Cas."


End file.
